I typically don’t eat lunch, but today a delicious tuna sandwich on Italian bread sounded delicious.
One of the colorful things about New York City is that there are food carts on nearly every corner.
Tiny New York Kitchen Wishes You A Very Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
The weather here in the Northeast has been unbelievably wonderful. It is so nice to have daffodils in my house as a confirmation that spring is around the corner.
Oh How I Love The Smell Of The Warm Nuts That The Street Venders Sell In Winter
I walk by the Num Pang Sandwich Shop often as it’s not far from my apartment. They always seem to have the best signs out on the sidewalk in front of their shop.
I love making these grilled cheese sandwiches. I used champagne cheese from Yancey’s Fancy Cheese.
The Weather Here In The Northeast Has Been Quite Strange This Winter. In Hopes That Spring Comes Soon I Felt Compelled To Pick Up A Bunch Of Tulips And Arrange Them In This Beautiful Lundberg Vase.
Seafood
Keep your seafood fresh with safe handling and cooking tips.
Selecting Seafood
The first step in putting the best seafood on your plate is making sure that you put the best seafood in your shopping cart. Make the best choices at the store and you’ll enjoy great taste at the table every time.
When you’re shopping, make seafood the very last thing you pick up before you check out. Make sure to place it in an insulated bag for your trip home.
When purchasing clams and oysters in their shells, make sure they are alive. Shells of live clams and oysters may open naturally, but will close tightly when tapped, indicating that they are alive. Throw away any dead ones.
Fresh whole fish should have a shiny surface with tightly adhering scales, gills that are deep red or pink, free of slime, mucus and off-odor, and milk, briny aroma, similar to the ocean.
Fresh steaks, fillets, and loins should have a translucent look, fresh that is firm and not separating and a mild briny odor, similar to the ocean.
Handling Seafood
Shore to store is only one leg of the journey. It’s important to continue following safe handling recommendations once you take your seafood purchase home.
If your seafood is frozen make sure to thaw seafood in the refrigerator. Never thaw at room temperature.
Wash your hands with hot soapy water before and after handling raw seafood.
Thoroughly wash containers that held raw seafood before using them again.
Cooking Seafood
Now that your seafood is home safely, it’s time to get cooking.
Make sure that you cook fresh fillets and shellfish 1 to 2 days after purchasing.
Keep seafood refrigerated until it’s time to cook.
A general rule for baking and broiling fish is 10 minutes per inch of thickness at 400 to 450 degrees.
Fish is done when the flesh becomes opaque and flakes easily at the thickest part.
Scallops, clams, oysters, and shrimp become opaque and firm when fully cooked. Don’t overcook as this will result in loss of moisture, which affects texture and taste.
To boil, place shrimp and scallops in a large pot of boiling water (four cups of water per pound of meat) and simmer three to five minutes.
Broiled scallops and peeled and deveined shrimp will be cooked in 3 to 5 minutes.
Broiled shucked clams and oysters will be cooked in 3 to 5 minutes.
Oysters and clams should be steamed until their shells open completely. Throw away any that do not open.
Most seafood should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees. Consuming raw or undercooked seafood or shellfish may increase your risk of foodborne illness, especially if you have a medical condition.
“Work With What You Got!”
© Victoria Hart Glavin Tiny New York Kitchen © 2016 All Rights Reserved
